Tutorials

XNA 2.0 - Getting Started

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This tutorial is meant as a starting point for those of you who wants to try out XNA and get started with programming.

What is XNA?
XNA is a set of tools and runtime environment for developing games. The default programming languages supported are Visual Basic.net and C# built on top of the .net framework. It was first announced in march 2004 at the Games Developers Conference in San Jose, California. With XNA you can write games that can target a Windows based PC with DirectX or better and a Xbox 360.

 

What do I need?
In order for you to get started with XNA you will need a set of tools. This article will only focus on the free tools that Microsoft provides. If you need anything else, please refer to the XNA Creators web-site.

 

 

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Express
 

 

Update Visual Studio 2005
 

 

Install XNA Game Studio 2.0
 

 

Start using XNA Game Studio 2.0
 
  • Start XNA Game Studio 2.0 by clicking on your Start Menu, then on Microsoft XNA Game Studio 2.0, then either Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. You’re ready to start making games.

 

If you're interested in connecting your Xbox 360 up and start developing games for it, please read the following article at Microsoft.

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About Einar Ingebrigtsen

I've been doing software development since forever.. :) Started off with a Commodore 64 attached to my fingers for several years, went on to Amiga, Atari and later the PC. I was involved in the demoscene on all of the above mentioned platforms under the nickname Adept in several different groups; Legion Design, Scoop, Melon Dezign to mention but a few. Started doing professional software development in 1994 for FunCom with the prime responsibility of doing the 3D rendering engie for a PC/DOS game called Deadly Skies. Went on to doing the game engine for Windows/DirectX and Playstation for Dragonheart. Did some SNES coding in between. In 1996 a bunch of us quit FunCom and started our own company called Dimaga Studios. We went on making games for Windows/DirectX, Playstation and SEGA Saturn. The company fusioned in 1997 with Innerloop and the new name was Innerloop Studios. I quit the company later that year and started doing interactive TV solutions for a company called Playbox. Carried on doing interactive TV games and services till 2002 for Playbox and later Hermes Interactive. In 2002 I went on doing something completely different; enterprise level business applications. After working with Visual Studio .net BETA in 2001, and looking at the .net framework and C# we started the process in 2002 on moving the code over to this platform. 6 years later I'm still in the same company (still moving the code to C# :) ). Every now and then I found myself missing doing games fulltime. Early 2007 I got an email from Rune Grothaug at Microsoft Norway (DPE Team - MSDN) with a link to DevelopMentals Canadian Game Camp site. 24 hours later the GameCamp.no domain was purchased and CommunityServer installed on my server. Now I get to feed my game development nerve every now and then; through working the community by creating tutorials, newsposts, forum discussions and holding Game Camp events.